Investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee alleged that Mutko was involved in a sophisticated state-sponsored doping program during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Mutko, who served as Russia’s sports minister during the Games, has strongly denied all doping allegations.

Lifetime ban

The IOC didn’t accuse Mutko of being personally involved in doping, but banned him from the Olympics for life, saying he and his ministry bore overall responsibility for “failure to respect” anti-doping rules.

Mutko said he wanted to have his duties as president of the Russian Football Union suspended as he was planning to contest his ban from the Olympics at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

He added that he would also likely step down as the head of the World Cup’s organizing committee.

Dmitry Svishchev, a member of the committee for sports and tourism at the lower house of Russian parliament, told the state RIA Novosti news agency that Mutko was stepping down in order to defuse criticism of Russia before the run-up to the World Cup.

At a joint news conference with FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the World Cup draw in Moscow on Dec. 1, Mutko reaffirmed his denial of the doping accusations.

“There is no proof” Russian ran a state-backed doping scheme, he said. “Nowadays everyone is trying to make some kind of axis of evil out of us, just because we’re a great sporting power.”